Junior statewide competitions semi-finals preview

Harvey Norman Under 19

Western Clydesdales v Mackay Cutters

Western Clydesdales coach Elle Moss: No comments provided.

Mackay Cutters coach Matt Sanders: For me, as a coach, I’ve been happy with the way the girls have bought in from the get-go this year. We had a really good pre-season and built a lot of foundations for success and we figured out straight away what team we want to be. For us, it’s about effort plays and defence systems and they’re buying into that every week. They’re not the type of team that want to get the easy result or easy win and they’re committed to the process. This weekend I don’t want it to get too big for them. It’s cool to fly down and stay overnight but I hope they stay process-driven. Just because it’s a big game, we know if we stay committed to what we do, we’ll have success off the back of that. The Clydesdales have been excellent all year and put it to every team they’ve played. We’re looking forward to taking it to them in a way they might not have experienced yet. We have a really, really strong northern pool and I’m hoping that shows on Saturday. We’ve had tough, close games and if we can take it to them like that, those lead up games might be an advantage for us. They are a pretty good team and have handled all their opposition well so far. Our theme for this week was "owning the moment" and my last words to the girls on Saturday will be about owning the moment and not waiting for others to make the play. If they stick to who we are, we'll be back at Tuesday training to prepare for the grand final.

Brisbane Tigers v Tweed Seagulls

Brisbane Tigers coach Damien Pratt: What I've been most impressed with this season is their development - where they’ve come from and where they are today. They’ve been focused on improving their skillsets and developing throughout the season. Earlier on we were a bit off where we wanted to be but we refocused and reset ourselves. We’ve fought hard to be where we are today. This weekend I want to see them believe in themselves. Most of the girls doubt their ability and skillset but they have a lot of ability, a lot of them. I want them to back themselves and the rest will look after itself. Tweed are a pretty good side. They’re strong right across the park and don’t give you much. They’ll be very good defensively. They have a high percentage rate. But I believe we have a game plan that’s good enough to match them. We just know we’re going to have to be pretty good. I’m going to tell the team to go out and have fun on Saturday because that’s what the game is all about. We’ve done the hard work and the rest will look after itself. We just want to relax.

Tweed Seagulls coach Anthony Swain: What I've really enjoyed this season is the friendships this team has created. Everyone gets along really well and it shows on the football field because everyone wants to play for each other. This weekend, I want them to be resilient with the Tigers' big girls – they have a big team and we’re a reasonably small team. If we can get into the grind of football, slowly the gaps might start to open up and we can play our type of football with them. It’s similar to what happened last time we met them. We’re a team that have a free reign to throw the ball around and attack from anywhere on the field. If we make errors, we have to be resilient enough to defend it and that’s where the friendships come in. I expect the Tigers to be very strong and very physical. They don’t use the ball as much as we do but they’re big and strong and play to their advantages. Overall for us, it’s a great opportunity here and I'll tell them to take the opportunity with both hands and enjoy themselves, no matter what happens.

Cyril Connell Cup

Western Clydesdales v Townsville Blackhawks

Western Clydesdales coach Ned Murphy: I’ve been happy this year with my team's resilience and never-say-die attitude. We’ve been in four really close games that could have gone either way and they’ve found a way to win them all. I want to just see them stick to what they’ve been doing well this weekend and play to their ability. If that’s enough, who cares, I just want them to play to their best and show what they can do and what they can produce. We’re expecting a really good, fast side with Townsville... big in the middle. We’re expecting our toughest game yet. I haven’t done much preparation on them. For me, it's about focusing on ourselves and getting ourselves right. We’ll stick to that and see what happens. I’ll let the boys know I believe in them and to go out and enjoy the experience.

Townsville Blackhawks coach Nathan Norford: What’s impressed me the most this year is our defensive mindset. As a whole group, it’s lucky to have them for two years in a row. What they’ve built from the first season (in 2023) into the second year is a bit of resilience. That comes with age as well. This weekend, I want to see them enjoy themselves. There’s not many opportunities to play outside of their region and put their best foot forward. The travel, it’s a special thing in itself. We need to make sure they’re excited but harness the energy in the right way and stay focused on what they’re down there for. Coming up against the Clydesdales, they’ve knocked off some pretty quality sides in their competition so far. They’re going to be tough country kids and they’re always going to show up. They have quality players across the park and we’re going to have shut them down. I'll tell the boys to go out, be connected and have fun and make the most of the opportunity.

Souths Logan Magpies v Redcliffe Dolphins

Souths Logan Magpies coach Lincoln McLeod: The most pleasing thing this year has been our resilience around defence and not getting sucked into the scoreboard. We’ve played a lot of extremely close games and have been able to dig deep to protect our territory and come away most of the time with the result we want - barring the team we’re playing this weekend, of course. That resilience does give us the experience for finals footy because we’ve been in situations like this before. Obviously it’s a semi-final but ultimately it’s still a game of rugby league. We have to stay true to our processes and principles to give ourselves the best chance. Redcliffe are the form team of the competition – they have 10 points from the last five rounds and they’re the only team in our pool to do that. I’m expecting a very good defensive line. They’re stacked across the park, from one through to 17. They would have players that aren’t in the 17 that would start in most other Cyril Connell teams. But my message to my boys is simple: Sunday is always fun day. Go out and enjoy the experience and keep it simple.

Redcliffe Dolphins coach Larry Dickson: What's impressed me so far this year is how they’ve come together as a team and a squad and the way we play our style of football every week. I want to see us be better this weekend though around our discipline, our commitment to what we’re trying to achieve as a team. We need to be better. Souths are going to throw everything at us. The last game we played with Souths was very close. They’re a very, very good football side and a very well-coached football side. My message to my boys will be run hard and tackle hard – that’s it.

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